Was Google a Freedom Inc?

What happened to Google’s management model

We were always doubtful about Google’s claims to be a company based on freedom and responsibility of everyone. Because of this doubt we didn’t go to observe it (though we had solicitations). We were suspicious.

It seems that these suspicions were not far off. Below are the latest “changes” in the organizational approach in Google. Well, if such changes are at all possible, was Google a Freedom Inc. to begin with? Excerpts:

Google is moving away from its “let’s hire lots of really smart people and let them do whatever they want” management model. They want to be more like Android, where a bunch of really smart guys do what one really smart guy wants. (In the case of Android, it’s Andy Rubin.)

Brian Kennish, a Google engineer from 2003 to late 2010 says: “this system worked really well until the company reached about 10,000 workers. After that, things started to break down.”